MalCBlog

Malc's big boring blog. ish.

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Wednesday.
Went to Manchester yesterday. Booked into hotel, then off to the velodrome & watched Masters World champs sprint finals, talked to Rob, met Bradley Wiggins, world 1kilo champion & good professional. Hes going out with one of the flower girls !
Then back to hotel, Hazel collected me, picked up her sister & fella, then off to town, to Ascension and watched Jatr56 play. Excellent !
Back to Brierly Hell today.

Monday, September 08, 2003

Monday, oh crap, Monday.
Not much. Drank almost 8 tins of crappy lager on Saturday. Went and marshalled for the Midland open '10 on Sunday morning. That made me feel a bit better, putting something back into the sport. Apart from taking Dad for dinner that was about all I did on Sunday. Sent Hazel a couple of texts on Sunday but no reply yet. I wonder is at all over ? I was going to visit Manchester this week, partly to watch the Masters world championships at the velodrome, I will probably just go to see the racing now, and not try and contact H anymore.
Racing - is my season over ? I am planning to ride the track on Friday, there are three more Fridays racing. And a Midland '16 on Sunday, a '10 the following then finally the hill climb on the last Sunday in September. But, the way I'm feeling now I doubt if I can keep up the keeness to train for another three weeks. What a deadbeat.
What a disappointing (apart from my little unexpected sucess story on the track !) season.
Well, I suppose I looking at what I have done, there is my improved time and top 20 position in the Wyre Forest Hilly TT, my improved time and second place in the Midland RT '5. But is was my stunningly poor performance on the road that really depressed me. Was it down to my crash in the final race last year ? I certainly feel nervous in a bunch and prefer to leave a big gap between me and the othres, which simply wont work in a race. The only possible way of doing this is to be just off the back. This means spending much of the time in a race closing gaps which wears me out more than going hard on the front. Dickhead.

Sunday, September 07, 2003

Hello world of blog. Today is Saturday. No ! Sunday morning !
So Wednesday did a 90 minute ride at levels 2 and 3. Hard enough, combined with the fact darkness happened at 20.00 and I got home at 20.20. In the dark, no lights. Dis a plod arounf Gambolds etc, finishing along Watery Lane, stopped to call Hazel, no reply, then in dusk up the main road. Hmm, the time for 2 hour rides in the evening has gone.
Thursday had a rest day. As it was warm and sunny and maybe the last nice day bought wine & beer. Sat in the garden.
Friday dawned sunny then clouded over and cooled down as the day went on. Then it rained in the afternoon, which sort of put me off from riding the track, but I went anyway. Warming up there were spits of rain. Rode the 12 lap scratch, crap, 800M, crap, devil, out 1st. Then went to call H, no reply. It rained and we all went home.
Saturady, Went out and did a 2 hour plod to Barnt Green, Burcot, Bromsgrove, Timberhonger, somewhere else, Cutnall (ooh err) Green, Elmbridge, Worms Ash, then up the back road by Wildmoor, over the old bridge over the M5 and to Frankley Beeches. I've not been over that M5 bridge since 1989, whew, such a long time ! It hailed going up to the M5 bridge, ttok off my arm & leg warmes on the way to Worms Ash but put 'em back on then! Now drinking Grolsch.